Pete Essay Research Paper Peter Press Maravich

Pete Essay, Research Paper

Peter Press Maravich is arguably one of the best basketball players ever to play the game. Born June 22, 1947 in Aliquippa, Pennsylvania where he learned to love basketball from his father, Press Maravich, who spent many hours teaching him the game s most important fundamentals. Maravich broke numerous records throughout his career. While in high school he scored 47 points, more than any other player, in the North Carolina High School All-Star Game. He holds nearly every National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) scoring record at Louisiana State University (LSU) and was named a three-time All American in only three years in the NCAA. After a legendary college career at LSU, he played ten great seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA), earning five trips to the NBA All-Star Game and one league scoring title. After his death, he was named to the NBA s Top 50 Greatest Players of All Time and was inducted to the Hall of Fame. I feel, as a player, for anyone to accomplish so much in such a short period of time is remarkable. During Maravich s career the three-point line was not yet a part of professional basketball, so he accomplished all this without the three point line. Maravich is without question one of the greatest offensive basketball players ever to play the game.

Maravich got his nickname Pistol Pete from his father. Once referring to his style of shooting during his childhood and as a high school player, Pistol quickly developed into an offensive machine with great

shooting, passing, and dribbling skills. He was said to be an offensive genius. According to Mike Flynn

former rival of Pistols who played for the University of Kentucky and the Indiana Pacers,

Pistol was one of the greatest offensive players I ve ever seen. I wouldn t say he was a

pure shooter, as much as I would say he was a great scorer. I loved playing against him

because he didn t like playing defense so I knew I was going to get my points, even

though he would always score more than me . Pistol was an individual player, he was

out there to put on a show and that s what he did.(Personal Interview)

I agree with Mike Flynn, because this quote comes from a player that has played against him, so he knows what type of player Pistol was. Pistol was a great player, even though he was an individual player, because no one could stop him.

Pistols first encounter with basketball was at the age of seven, where he practiced shooting with his father. As a kid, Maravich was known to hustle bets from his fellow classmates by challenging them to predict how long he could spin the basketball on his finger. Despite criticism that he was too greedy, Maravich shot fifty times and scored 48 points in his first varsity game, which led to a successful high school career. Maravich not only made his high school varsity team while in the eighth grade, but seemed to enjoy great success as a high school basketball player, even though he played for five different coaches in five years. At Needham-Broughton High School in North Carolina, he captured the single season scoring record with 735 points, the best per-game average with 32 points, and, as a senior, scored more points than any other player by scoring 47 in the North Carolina High School All-Star Game. (The Scribner Encyclopedia of American Lives) For Maravich, as a high school player, to play against all-stars and score 47 points, is amazing. High school is just the beginning of a great career for what this phenomenon will eventually accomplish.

In 1966 Maravich enrolled at LSU, where his father just accepted a job as head basketball coach. NCAA rules, at the time, prohibited first-year students from playing at the varsity level so Maravich played for LSU s freshman team during the 1966-67 and averaged a phenomenal 43.6 points per game (ppg). When Maravich moved up to varsity for his sophomore season, he began the greatest scoring rampage in NCAA history. Maravich seemed ready to get the job done stating, If I have a choice whether to do the show or throw the straight pass, and were going to get the basket either way, I m going to do the show. Indeed he did just that, during his next three seasons 1967-1970 averaging 43.8, 44.2, 44.5 ppg, and leading the nation in scoring each year. In addition, he set the following NCAA marks: most career points (3,667), averaging (44.2 ppg.)(World Almanac and Book of Facts 2000, p970) overall and a season (1,381); most field goals attempted in a career (3,166) and season (1,168); most field goals made in a career (1,387) and season (522); most free throws attempted in a three-year career (1,152) and game (31); most free throws made in a three-year career (893) and game (30); fifty or more points in a game within his career (28) and season (10); and best scoring average for a sophomore, junior and senior, a three-time All-American. He accomplished all this without the three-point basket.(www.nba.com)

Although he was perceived as an individual player, Maravich made LSU s win/loss record during his three years 49-35. Maravich graduated in 1970, and was awarded the Rupp Trophy and the Naismith Award that year as the NCAA s College Player of the Year. His father, Press Maravich, stated I get to the point where I don t coach him, Press once said of his phenomenon son, I just watch. (Scribner Enc